LAHORE: Dense smog which has been prevalent in parts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) since the past couple of days is expected to clear as the Meteorological Department has forecast rain in both the provinces.
According to the department, thunder and rainfall is expected on Sunday night in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Islamabad and upper Punjab. The welcome rain is expected to clear the sky of smog that has affected visibility in many areas of the country, especially Punjab, causing a number of accidents.
The thick layers of smog have been a constant source of distress for the citizens. Not only was visibility affected, the smog also caused power lines to trip resulting in power shortages for long hours.
Furthermore, the smog in Lahore has surpassed all international benchmarks set by the World Health Organization as PM2.5 level, which is termed the most dangerous pollutant in the air across the world, remained between 450ug/m3 and 500ug/m3 against the advised standards of 35ug/m3 per day. This has resulted in the spread of diseases especially related to the eyes, throat and nose.
Unfortunately, the Environmental Protection Department had been concealing data about air quality and the pollutants present in it whereas the air monitoring laboratories established by the private sector presented a different picture.
